Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a batten or furring strip and, more particularly, to a non-corrosive and non-rotting batten strip for roof tiles and having predrilled recesses carrying fasteners for simplifying the installation process onto a roof.
2. Prior Art
The overall effectiveness of a tile roof as a weatherproof assembly depends on the individual effectiveness of all the components in a roofing system. A particular component of a roofing system is a batten or furring strip. Batten strips are usually required when installing roof tiles, especially where a roof has a sloped shape. Batten strips are used to support tiles on roof surfaces and provide drainage for the roofing system. Many materials may be used to make batten strips, i.e., aluminum, wood and plastic. To be durable and cost-effective, batten strips should be formed of non-corrosive and non-rotting materials and should be installable with minimal requisite labor.
In addition, batten strips should provide adequate drainage for the roofing system. A particular problem with roofing systems is water and debris migration. Water migration refers to the movement of water beyond the primary roof covering material. For example, water may migrate between the side-lap joints of tiles and enter the roofing system. Wind-driven snow and rain and debris may migrate beneath tiles of many tile roofs. Also, the physical phenomenon of capillary action and surface tension, combined with wind, is a factor in the water and debris migration characteristics of some types of roofing systems. As a result, it is important for the underlining batten strips to be provided with adequate drainage.
Batten strips of the prior art with weep holes are more susceptible to becoming clogged with debris, which hinders the drainage of water through the weep holes. Increasing the dimensions for drainage should be considered where organic debris, i.e., leaves, pine needles, etc. may accumulate and clog the weep holes. Tile laid dry on batten strips increases the air circulation under the tile roof covering and assists in preventing water damage to the roofing system.
Alternative to a single system, a roofing system may encompass a batten/counter batten system as disclosed by the National Roofing Contractor""s Association (NRCA), Roofing and Waterproofing Manual-Fourth Edition, page 1101, FIG. 2. However, such systems require more material and installation is tedious and time consuming, which results in higher costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,807 to Vasquez discloses a roofing system, which employs grooved batten members. The grooved batten members are preferably made of reprocessed plastic materials such as polyvinylchloride, polyethylene and polypropylene, for example. A shortcoming of the Vasquez ""807 patent is that nails or screws must be forced through the batten members to secure the batten members to a roof surface. This requires an installer to carry a number of requisite tools. For example, an installer must carry nails/screws, a hammer, a circular saw and often a nail gun with a connected hose supplying air-pressure to the nail gun. These tools render the installation process more difficult and cumbersome, time consuming and expensive.
For example, to attach the batten strips on a roof, an installer must locate and individually place each nail/screw into the batten strip. Moreover, if only a portion of a batten strip is required for a roof surface, the installer must manually saw off the unnecessary portion of the batten strip. Such a process may cause uneven cuts, chips, and cracks to the batten strip and likely reduces the effectiveness of the batten strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,211 to Russell et al. discloses a batten bar made of plastic, corrosion-resistant material that has thick side portions. Holes are provided in the bridging portion. A fastener, which is shown as a self-tapping screw, has the shank thereof passed downwardly through one of the holes and through the membrane to be seated in a roof substrate. Power-operated screw-driving tools usually drive the fasteners. These tools are often heavy and require periodic battery replacement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,306 to Schauffele discloses an elongated fastening bar which is placed above a roofing membrane and fastened to a roofing structure with fasteners, such as screws or nails. The fasteners are driven through the bar from the top thereof through the underlying membrane and into the roof structure. Preformed holes are provided in the bar along its longitudinal centerline at periodic intervals, such as every 12 inches. The Schauffele ""306 patent discloses flat, inclined faces on the upper surface of the fastening bar causing water and debris to flow away therefrom.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a batten strip for supporting roof tiles on a roof with a water barrier covering same. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention, are provided by a batten strip that may include an elongated body having a pair of substantially parallel sidewalls, an upper surface between the sidewalls, and a lower surface between the sidewalls adapted to engage a water barrier on a roof. The batten strip may further include a plurality of spaced, inverted channels having respective bases and a pair of sidewalls extending downwardly from the respective bases. The channels may be formed along the body from the lower surface and terminating generally midway between the upper and lower surfaces. The channels may extend between the sidewalls and provide drainage perpendicular to the length of the body. In one embodiment, the channels may have equal lengths along the elongated body. In an alternate embodiment, the channels may have variable respective lengths along the elongated body. In addition, the spacing between each channel may be substantially equal to the length of the channels. Advantageously, the plurality of spaced channels along the batten strip provide more effective drainage of water and debris for a roof system.
The batten strip may further include a plurality of spaced lands respectively located between adjacent channels. The plurality of lands may be adapted to be engaged with a water barrier on a roof surface. In one embodiment, the spaced lands may have a length equal to the length of the spaced channels. In an alternate embodiment, the spaced lands may have variable respective lengths.
The batten strip may further include a plurality of spaced recesses in and along the upper surface located generally equidistant between each pair of the adjacent channels. In addition, a plurality of fastening members may be pre-inserted into the respective plurality of recesses and carried by the body for securing the body to a roof. The plurality of fastening members may have sharpened lower ends inserted into and secured in position in the respective plurality of recesses until a driving force is applied thereto.
The plurality of fastening members may also have heads to be countersunk into the respective plurality of recesses so that the heads are flush with the upper surface of the body. The fastening members may be driven through the respective lands for securing the batten strip to a roof surface. Advantageously, the installer may secure the batten strip to a roof surface without having to locate and use nails/screws, a circular saw, an air-hammer with an attached hose or other cumbersome tools, thereby making the installation process less tedious and costly.
In addition, the elongated body of the batten strip may include opposite end portions. Each end portion may have a base and a sidewall so that when one batten strip is abutted end-to-end with another batten strip, another channel may be formed. Each end portion may be approximately half the length of a channel. Advantageously, a continuous row of batten strips may be created, with equally spaced channels, on the roof surface.
In an alternate embodiment, the body of the batten strip may have a first elongated section and a second elongated section parallel and adjacent thereto. The second section may be spaced downwardly from the first section so that the second section may have a thickness less than a thickness of the first section. In one embodiment, the plurality of recesses may be located in and along the first channel. In an alternate embodiment, the plurality of recesses may be located in and along the second channel.